The Serengeti: Plain Facts about National Park & Animals The Serengeti: Plain Facts about National Park & Animals By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Live Science Contributor | September 19, 2012 12:27pm ET MORE The Serengeti is a vast ecosystem in east-central Africa. It spans 12,000 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) giving rise to its name, which is derived from the Maasai language and means “endless plains.” This region of Africa is located in north Tanzania and extends to southwestern Kenya. The Serengeti encompasses Serengeti National Park and a number of protected game reserves and conservation areas maintained by the governments of Tanzania and Kenya. The region hosts the largest mammal migration in the world and is a popular destination for African safaris. Wildebeests and zebras cross the Serengeti Plain in an annual migration.

Altitudes in the Serengeti range from 3,020 feet to 6,070 feet (920 meters to 1,850 meters) The usually warm and dry climate is interrupted by two rainy seasons — March to May, and a shorter season in October and November. An acacia tree on the Serengeti Plain. Credit: M Rutherford shutterstock The Serengeti landscape is quite varied with flat-topped acacias (a genre of shrubs and trees), rolling plains and open grasslands that are bordered by hills and rocky formations. Extreme weather conditions plague the area, with harsh winds combining with heat to create a harsh environment. The expansiveness of the Serengeti is interrupted by Ol Doinyo Lengai, the only active volcano in the area and the only volcano that still ejects carbonatite lavas that turn white when exposed to air. When it rains, the ash turns into a calcium-rich material that is as hard as cement. The southeastern area lies in the shadow of the Ngorongoro highlands and is composed of shortgrass treeless plains as this area does get rain.

Some 43 miles (70 km) west, acacia woodlands rise suddenly and extend west to Lake Victoria and north to the Loita Plains. The landscape is dotted with a number of granite and gneiss outcroppings known as kopjes, which are large rocky formations that are the result of volcanic activity. The Simba Kopje (Lion Kopje) is a popular tourist stop. Animals of the Serengeti Blue wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and buffalos inhabit the region, along with lions and spotted hyenas familiar to fans of the Disney film “The Lion King.” In the 1890s, droughts and a rinderpest epidemic (also known as cattle plague or steppe murrain) took a serious toll on the animal population of the Serengeti, in particular the wildebeest. By the mid-1970s the wildebeest and the buffalo populations had recovered. Each year the great wildebeest migration begins in December in the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania, which offers rich grasslands for feeding.

This is a huge attraction for tourists, and while many think it is an intense and short-lived phenomenon, it is actually a fairly slow trek. It occurs during this time because there plenty of rain-ripened grass available for the 750,000 zebra that precede 1.2 million wildebeest and then the hundreds of thousands of other plains game bringing up the rear of the migration path. A red-headed rock agama displays colorful male territorial markings in Serengeti National Park. Credit: Mogens Trolle shutterstock Wildebeests bear their young in February and March, which sparks predators. Then in May as the plains of the south and east dry out the mass moves on to the north and west crossing the Grumeti River, where there is more grass and more a more reliable water supply. Some 250,000 wildebeest die during the journey from Tanzania to Maasai Mara Reserve in lower Kenya, a total of 500 miles (800 km). Death is usually from thirst, hunger, exhaustion, or predation. But large mammals are not the only ones that make their home in the Serengeti.

Gaudy agama lizards and rock hyraxes make themselves comfortable in the numerous granite kopjes, which are formations of huge boulders of sparkling, coarse rock. A full 100 varieties of dung beetle have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above the Lobo Hills. History The Maasai people had been grazing their livestock in the open plains for around 200 years when the first European explorers visited the area. German geographer and explorer Dr. Oscar Baumann entered the area in 1892. The first Brit to enter the Serengeti, Stewart Edward White, recorded his explorations in the northern Serengeti in 1913. A group of Maasai women shows a traditional Jump dance in a village near Maasai Mara Reserve. Credit: Oleg Znamenskiy / Shutterstock.com Because the hunting of lions made them so scarce, the British decided to make a partial game reserve of 800 acres (3.2 square km) in the area in 1921 and a full one in 1929.

These actions became the basis for Serengeti National Park, which was established in 1951. The Serengeti gained more fame after the initial work of Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael in the 1950s. Together they produced the book and film “Serengeti Shall Not Die,” an early nature conservation documentary. As part of the creation of the park and in order to preserve its wildlife, the Maasai were relocated to the Ngorongoro highlands, a move that still elicits much controversy. — Kim Ann Zimmermann, LiveScience Contributor Related: Serengeti Other Resources The Serengeti National Park Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value. With more than two million wildebeest, half a million Thomson's gazelle, and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The wildebeest and zebra moreover form the star cast of a unique spectacular - the annual Serengeti migration. The name 'Serengeti' comes from the Maasai language and appropriately means an 'extended place'.

The National Park, with an area of 12,950 square kilometres, is as big as Northern Ireland, but its ecosystem, which includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maswa Game Reserve and the Maasai Mara Game reserve (in Kenya), is roughly the size of Kuwait. It lies between the shores of Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east. As such, it offers the most complex and least disturbed ecosystem on earth. A unique combination of diverse habitats enables it to support more than 30 species of large harbivores and nearly 500 species of birds. Its landscape, originally formed by volcanic activity, has been sculptured by the concerted action of wind, rain and sun. It now varies from open grass plains in the south, savannah with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west. Small rivers, lakes and swamps are scattered throughout. In the south-east rise the great volcanic massifs and craters of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Each area has its own particular atmosphere and wildlife.

The Serengeti's climate is usually warm and dry. The main rainy season is from March to May, with short rains falling from October to November. The amount of rainfall increases from about 508mm on the plains in the lee of the Ngorongoro Highlands to about 1,200mm on the shores of Lake Victoria. All is lush and green after the rains, but a gradual drying up follows which restricts plant growth and encourages the animals to migrate in search of permanent waters. With altitudes ranging from 920 to 1,850 metres - higher than most of Europe - mean temperatures vary from 15 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius. It is coldest from June to October, particularly in the evenings. For centuries, the vast wilderness of the Serengeti Plains remained virtually unhabitated but about hundred years ago the nomadic Maasai came down from the north with their cattle. The first European to set foot in the area was the German explorer and naturalist Dr. Oscar Baumann, who passed by as an agent of the German Anti-Slavery Committee on his way to Burundi.

He was followed by his compatriots who built Fort Ikoma in the north which was used as an administrative centre until it fell to the British in 1917. The first professional hunters came in 1913. They found the wildlife plentiful, especially the lions, but saw no elephants. Seven years later, an American arrived in a strange new contraption known as a Ford motor-car and news of the wonders of the Serengeti had reached the outside world. Because the hunting of lions made them so scarse (they were considered 'vermin'), it was decided to make a partial Game Reserve in the area in 1921 and a full one in 1929. With the growing awareness of the need for conservation, it was expanded and upgraded to a National Park in 1951. Eight years later the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in the south-east as a separate unit. Travellers are not the only ones who now flock to see the animals and birds of the Serengeti. It has become an important centre of scientific research. In the late fifties, Dr. Bernhard Grizmek and his late son Michael did a pioneering work in aerial surveys of wildlife.

It resulted in the best-selling classic Serengeti Shall Not Die and a number of films which made the Park a household name. The Serengeti Research Institute, founded in 1962 at Seronera, has continued their work, providing not only valuable information for the management and conservation of game parks but also original research in ecology and ethology. More is now known about dynamics of the Serengeti than any other ecosystem in the world. Most visitors enter the Park from the south-east, dropping down from the escarpment of the Ngorongoro Highlands onto the open short grass plains. The road passes by the Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. and Mrs. Leakey found the 1.75 million-year-old remains of Australopithecus boisei ('Zinjanthropus') and Homo habilis which suggest that our species first evolved in this area. To the west, the Gorge reaches Lake Ndutu where a safari lodge is attractively set amongst trees by the water's edge. In the open grass plains during the rainy months from November to May hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and Burchell's zebra congregate.

The area is the starting point for one of the great wonders of the world: the Serengeti annual migration. Towards the end of May when the grass becomes dry and exhausted, the wildebeest start to mass in huge armies. All is far from peaceful, for it is the rutting season and each male tries to establish a stamping ground. Eventually, after several dummy runs, the animals begin their trek in a column several miles long to the permanent waters in the north of the Park. After moving westwards, the migration divides by some uncanny instinct, one group turning north-east and the other due north. Once started, little stops the stampede: hundreds often drown at a time in the broad Mara river in the north. Although outnumbered eight to one, the zebra join in the migration, maintaining their family units of about a dozen members, each with a dominant stallion. Their yelping bark combines with the bleating of the wildebeest to give the typical sound of the migration. Lion, cheetah, hyena and hunting dog follow the wildebeest and zebra, making sure that only the fittest survive.

In November, when the grazing is finished in the North, this army of animals surges back to the now green pastures of the south, where they calve and mate before starting the entire cycle again. Normally, the best time to see the animals here is during January and February. Heading north into the Park, the grass becomes noticeably longer, and it is usual to see Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, as well as the occassional small groups of topi and kongoni. Ostriches and secretary birds stalk the grass, while a family of warthog often scurry away. Out of the vast sea of grass also rise great granite outcrops, known as 'kopjes', which have their own range of vegetation and wildlife. Towards Seronera, the Park headquarters, the landscape becomes more varied. Hills rise out of plains criss-crossed by small rivers. Umbrella acacia trees appear, elegant and serene, contrasting with the twisted commiphora trees. Then at Seronera a beautiful lodge is built on a kopje, a sculpture of wood and stone set in a tranquil garden. Nearby camping sites offer an opportunity to share the experience of the early explorers.

Cheeky hyraxes and lizards play on the rocks and a profusion of birds - superb starlings, lilac-breasted rollers, barbets and ring-necked doves to name but a few - fill the air with their songs. But all around is some of the wildest bush in Africa. Giraffes nibble the tender leaves of the thorny acacias, buffalo lumber along, and all manner of game - Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, impala, topi and kongoni - graze nervously. At night the soaring cough of the leopard and the whooping laugh of the hyena interrupt the incessant ticking of the cicadas. And then there are famous black-maned lions of Seronera. No longer hunted like vermin, a pride of up to twenty can often be seen in a tawny heap. From Seronera, the road to the west runs parallel to the Grumeti river, crossing extensive cotton soil plains. The riverine wood along its banks supports many black and white colobus monkeys while exceptionally large crocodiles take to its waters. In open clearings and on hills, a herd of roan antelope or Patterson's eland sometimes appear.

To the north, the landscape gradually becomes more hilly and wooded. Damaged trees show that this is becoming elephant country, while buffalo, zebra, giraffe and gazelles abound. Another beautiful lodge built on a kopje takes its name from nearby Lobo hill, which appropriately means in Maasai the 'place belonging to one man'. With magnificent views over rolling plains, it must be one of the most haunting and remote places on earth. Apart from the rhinos, which have been decimated by poachers, and the hunting dogs, which are slowly declining, the Serengeti is alive and well. The wildebeest and buffalo populations have multiplied, benefitting the main predators - lion, cheetah, and hyena. But the ecosystem is delicate and volatile, easily affected by drought, disease or overgrazing. Every effort is therefore being made by the Tanzanian government to conserve this unique heritage for all mankind. For the time being at least, the 'Serengeti Shall Not Die'. This information has been extracted from a pamphlet produced by the now defunct Tanzania Tourist Corporation (TTC).

Interested readers wishing more information on Serengeti and other National Parks in Tanzania should visit the website of the Tanzania Tourist Board . Map of Serengeti National Park Site Map Serengeti National ParkMap The Serengeti National Park forms the centre piece of the greater Serengeti conservation area that includes numerous reserves and concessions. Loading map... Serengeti National Park Serengeti National Park is one of the best-known wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and symbolises the classic African safari. With more than 2 million wildebeest, half a million Thomson's gazelle, and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The Serengeti is also synonymous with the annual wildebeest and zebra migration. The name 'Serengeti' comes from the Maasai language and means an 'extended place'. The National Park alone covers an area of 12,950 square kilometres.

The Serengeti ecosystem, which includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Grumeti Game Reserve, the Maswa Game Reserve, the Maasai Mara Game reserve (in Kenya) and numerous concession areas, is roughly the size of Sicily. It lies between the shores of Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east. Serengeti Wildebeest and Zebra Migration route map Read more about the Serengeti Migration, including detailed maps and movement patterns and migratory routes: Migration route map Our migration route maps show the where the migration is during each month relative to Serengeti National Park, Game Reserves or concession areas. As the migration path and timing is dependent on climatic conditions, the maps can only give a rough guide of the location at any point in the year. Safari Routes in the Serengeti The itinerary for a safari in the Serengeti and the Northern Circuit of Tanzania is very dependent on the time of year and the location of the migration at the time. Here are some sample routes that show the best locations by month including the lodges and camps in the area: ...more Serengeti Safari Routes .

Featured Serengeti Safari lodge maps Faru Faru River Lodge map, Grumeti Reserve : Faru Faru River Lodge is built on a gently sloping hill, overlooking a waterhole and the Grumeti River Grumeti River Camp map : The remote Western Corridor of the Serengeti abounds with resident game all year round. Grumeti lies in the path of the migration which in a typical year arrives between June and July Kirawira Camp map : Kirawira Camp is an luxurious permanent tented camp, elegantly furnished throughout in the old 1920s safari style. Kleins Camp map : Kleins Camp is perched on the edge of the Kuka Hills, which straddle the northeastern border of the Serengeti. Kusini Camp map : Kusini is in an exclusive remote region of the Serenget and provides guests with a secluded and unobtrusive position that curves naturally with a group of Kopjes Migration Camp map : Migration Camp is a comfortable camp in a remote location in the northern Serengeti. Ndutu Safari Lodge map : Ndutu Safari Lodge is the only permanent lodge in the short grass plains of Ndutu.

Nomad Loliondo Camp map : The Loliondo Safari Camp moves within the Loliondo area on the eastern border of the Serengeti National Park. Olakira Camp map : Olakira is a luxury 8 tented mobile camp that operates in the southern and central Serengeti. Sabora Plains tented camp map, Grumeti Reserve : Sabora Plains Tented Camp is beautifully decorated in grand campaign style representing a return to the golden ages of the 1920s and 30s. Sasakwa Camp map, Grumeti Reserve : Sasakwa Lodge is situated on the top of Sasakwa Hill, with awe-inspiring views over the Serengeti plains. Sayari Mobile Camp map : Sayari Camp is a seasonal mobile camp that follows the wildebeest migration through the Serengeti. More about the Serengeti Landscape A unique combination of diverse habitats enables it to support more than 30 species of large harbivores and nearly 500 species of birds. Its landscape, originally formed by volcanic activity, has been sculptured by the concerted action of wind, rain and sun.

It now varies from open grass plains in the south, savannah with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west. Small rivers, lakes and swamps are scattered throughout. In the south-east rise the great volcanic massifs and craters of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Each area has its own particular atmosphere and wildlife. History For centuries, the vast wilderness of the Serengeti Plains remained virtually uninhabited but about hundred years ago the nomadic Maasai came down from the north with their cattle. The first European to set foot in the area was the German explorer and naturalist Dr. Oscar Baumann, who passed by as an agent of the German Anti-Slavery Committee on his way to Burundi. He was followed by his compatriots who built Fort Ikoma in the north which was used as an administrative centre until it fell to the British in 1917. The first professional hunters came in 1913. They found the wildlife plentiful, especially the lions, but saw no elephants.

Seven years later, an American arrived in a strange new contraption known as a Ford motor-car and news of the wonders of the Serengeti had reached the outside world. Because the hunting of lions made them so scarce (they were considered 'vermin'), it was decided to make a partial Game Reserve in the area in 1921 and a full one in 1929. With the growing awareness of the need for conservation, it was expanded and upgraded to a National Park in 1951. Eight years later the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in the south-east as a separate unit. In the open grass plains during the rainy months from November to May hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and Burchell's zebra congregate. The area is the starting point for one of the great wonders of the world: the Serengeti annual migration. Towards the end of May when the grass becomes dry and exhausted, the wildebeest start to mass in huge armies. All is far from peaceful, for it is the rutting season and each male tries to establish a stamping ground.

Eventually, after several dummy runs, the animals begin their trek in a column several miles long to the permanent waters in the north of the Park. After moving westwards, the migration divides by some uncanny instinct, one group turning north-east and the other due north. Once started, little stops the stampede: hundreds often drown at a time in the broad Mara river in the north. This mass movement has a following of carnivores, always ready to dispose of the weaklings The river crossings happen at any time during this time of year, but are elusive, rapid and unforgettable experiences. The wildebeest are easily spooked by real or imagined threats. Patient waiting near a herd by the river may only produce a puff of dust as they turn on their heels and run away. Or maybe the herd is just not ready to cross the river and they are milling around contentedly. But if everything is right then, there is utter and extraordinary chaos as the herds struggle to get to the other side of a major river filled with crocodiles. Game Viewing Although outnumbered eight to one, the zebra join in the migration, maintaining their family units of about a dozen members, each with a dominant stallion.

Their yelping bark combines with the bleating of the wildebeest to give the typical sound of the migration. Lion, cheetah, hyena and hunting dog follow the wildebeest and zebra, making sure that only the fittest survive. In November, when the grazing is finished in the North, this army of animals surges back to the now green pastures of the south, where they calve and mate before starting the entire cycle again. Normally, the best time to see the animals here is during January and February. Heading north into the Park, the grass becomes noticeably longer, and it is usual to see Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, as well as the occasional small groups of topi and kongoni. Ostriches and secretary birds stalk the grass, while a family of warthog often scurry away. Out of the vast sea of grass also rise great granite outcrops, known as 'kopjes', which have their own range of vegetation and wildlife. Towards Seronera, the Park headquarters, the landscape becomes more varied. Hills rise out of plains criss-crossed by small rivers.

Umbrella acacia trees appear, elegant and serene, contrasting with the twisted commiphora trees. Cheeky hyraxes and lizards play on the rocks and a profusion of birds - superb starlings, lilac-breasted rollers, barbets and ring-necked doves to name but a few - fill the air with their songs. But all around is some of the wildest bush in Africa. Giraffes nibble the tender leaves of the thorny acacias, buffalo lumber along, and all manner of game - Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, impala, topi and kongoni - graze nervously. At night the soaring cough of the leopard and the whooping laugh of the hyena interrupt the incessant ticking of the cicadas. And then there are famous black-maned lions of Seronera. No longer hunted like vermin, a pride of up to twenty can often be seen in a tawny heap. From Seronera, the road to the west runs parallel to the Grumeti river, crossing extensive cotton soil plains. The riverine wood along its banks supports many black and white Colobus monkeys while exceptionally large crocodiles take to its waters.

In open clearings and on hills, a herd of roan antelope or Patterson's eland sometimes appear. To the north, the landscape gradually becomes more hilly and wooded. Damaged trees show that this is becoming elephant country, while buffalo, zebra, giraffe and gazelles abound. Another beautiful lodge built on a kopje takes its name from nearby Lobo hill, which appropriately means in Maasai the 'place belonging to one man'. With magnificent views over rolling plains, it must be one of the most haunting and remote places on earth. Most visitors enter the Park from the south-east, dropping down from the escarpment of the Ngorongoro Highlands onto the open short grass plains. The road passes by the Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. and Mrs. Leakey found the 1.75 million-year-old remains of Australopithecus boisei ('Zinjanthropus') and Homo habilis which suggest that our species first evolved in this area. To the west, the Gorge reaches Lake Ndutu where a safari lodge is attractively set amongst trees by the water's edge. Climate The Serengeti's climate is usually warm and dry.

The main rainy season is from March to May, with short rains falling from October to November. The amount of rainfall increases from about 508mm on the plains in the lee of the Ngorongoro Highlands to about 1,200mm on the shores of Lake Victoria. All is lush and green after the rains, but a gradual drying up follows which restricts plant growth and encourages the animals to migrate in search of permanent waters. With altitudes ranging from 920 to 1,850 metres - higher than most of Europe - mean temperatures vary from 15 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius. It is coldest from June to October, particularly in the evenings. Game Reserves and Private Concessions in the Serengeti eco-system The Serengeti is not fenced and is surrounded by a number of huge reserves and private concessions. Together with the National Park these make the greater Serengeti eco-system. They act as a buffer for the National Park and most are in the path of the annual migration, which make them critical to the region.

The main reserves are the Grumeti Game Reserve, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, Loliondo Controlled Area, Lake Natron Controlled Area, Mount Wa Mbu Game Controlled Area, Ikorongo Controlled Area. The Masai Mara Game Reserve (in Kenya) also forms part of this huge eco-system. Grumeti Game Reserve Grumeti Game Reserve is a 340,000 acre (140,000 Ha) reserve held as a concession by the billionaire Paul Tudor Jones. The concession comprised of Ikorongo Game Reserve, Grumeti Game Reserve and Fort Ikoma Open Area. The reserve is on the western border of the Serengeti includes part of the Grumeti River. The wildebeest migration crossing the Grumeti River is one of the highlights of the annual migration. The migration normally moves through this area towards June and July. The reserve also has exceptional resident game throughout the year and has some of the most luxurious lodges in East Africa namely, Sasakwa Lodge, Faru Faru River Lodge and Sabora Plains Camp. Ngorongoro Conservation Area Read more about Ngorongoro Conservation Area .

Maswa Reserve Maswa borders the south west part of Serengeti and is an extension of the Serengeti ecosystem. The reserve consists of river valley thickets, acacia parkland and open plains, making it an ideal walking area. Loloindo Game Controlled Area The large Loliondo Game Controlled Area, bordering the Serengeti to the east, is known for its unspoilt Maasai culture, spectacular natural beauty and great variety of animals. Loliondo offers unique freedom of movement: while the National Park rules do not allow activities such as night drives and walking safaris, these are all possible in Loliondo. The large, private concession areas, shared with small settlements of the nomadic Maasai tribe, offer breathtaking landscapes: the towering Gol Mountains, the deep Sanjan and Olkarien Gorges, wild bush with roaming elephants and the active Ol Donyno Lengai volcano. Ancient rock paintings prove there was life before the arrival of the first Maasai warriors.

Nearby areas: Serengeti National Park | African Encounters Map of Malawi Visitors Say Salaam Farzanah Firstly, the service that Iï¿½ve received from you and African Encounters were supe... Read More... Serengeti National Park About Serengeti You might have heard the name, or watched a documentary on National Geographic, but to experience it is an experience of a lifetime. The Serengeti National Park is one of the most incredible places on the planet. What you might have seen on television or read in a book cannot do justice to the actual experience. It is just out of this world. This is the largest of Tanzania's national parks, measuring 14,763 sq. km's. The park name is derived from a Maasai word meaning "endless plains" and houses the largest concentration of wildlife in the world. The Serengeti is renowned for the huge concentrations of wildebeest and zebra.

Approximately 1,500,000 wildebeest and 250,000 zebra migrate annually in a circular pattern between the Serengeti National Park's Western Corridor and Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve . Contrary to belief, the migration of these animals is a continuous affair with stopover points along the way. These migrationary trends are dependent on the rains. During late November or December through to May/ early June, lines of Wildebeest (sometimes up to 40km long) can be seen on a journey which can be up to 800 km long. These vast herds of grunting and snorting animals consume a staggering 4000 tones of grass each day. Hot on their heels you will find the ominous and ever present lion, cheetah and hyena. They are particularly interested in the calving season that coincides with the migration off the plains. In a period of only 3 weeks, some 400,000 cows give birth. Unlike most antelopes who seek cover, wildebeest prefer to calve in open terrain, which provides another breathtaking spectacle.

These new calves provide easy pickings for larger scavengers and cats. This is the reason why wildebeest calves are able to be up and running within 4 minutes of birth. The best time to witness this is between the end of January to February. The Seronera Valley provides for some of the best game viewing. Jutting kopjes provide a vantage point for lion to sit a gaze on the herds and plan the next meal. June and July sees the animals moving off to the Togoro Plain on the border of the Grumeti River. This presents an obstacle for the vast herd, as they have to cross the queues of the eagerly awaiting crocs. August to September sees the animals moving off to the Lobo area and into the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, in neighboring Kenya.We have been up to the Serengeti on numerous occasions, and we have never been disappointed. Two experiences spring to mind immediately. Whilst on a game drive in the Lobo area, we spotted a lioness in the distance sitting in the grass. Upon closer inspection, "she" turned out to be a pride of 17 lion frolicking with cubs around a large kopje.

That particular day we saw 49 lion. The other instance was our first game drive near the Naabi gate. Upon departing from the gate, we went straight for the nearest plain. As we came over the hill, the view is indescribable. In front of us were approximately 100,000 wildebeest and zebra grazing in an area of about 4 sq. kilometers. We stopped the car and sat amongst these animals, listening to the grunts and snorts. The animals were so close you could almost touch them.The Serengeti provides for an ultimate animal experience and unforgettable memories to tell your friends and family about. The Heart of Kenya: The Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Serengeti blasts up Floating across the savannah as antelope flees Our binoculars and camera lenses remained vigorously employed during the two-hour flight until we slowly descended to touch down softly in the middle of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve for a champagne brunch -- fresh omelettes, bacon, crepes, and fruit on a table superbly set by the land crew that had followed our flight.

After the savory meal, we finished the morning with a Land Rover-based game drive back to camp, going eye-to-eye with a family of elephants, several cape buffalo, and many more Maasai Mara inhabitants. "Not a bad ride today!" my wife Rita exclaimed to me. The hot air balloon safari was but one of many exciting experiences during four intense days at our Maasai Mara encampment. Other highlights included encountering all of Africas "Big Five" (lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards, and buffalo); visiting a Maasai tribe village; and taking a bush flight to view Lake Victorias incredible bird life and visit a Luo tribe fishing village. The reserve sits on the extreme northern end of the Serengeti Plain that runs northward from Tanzania into southwestern Kenya. Situated near the equator at approximately 6,000 feet altitude, the climate is surprisingly mild. We visited the reserve in December, just after brief rains had brought the plain back to a beautifully green state following a severe dry spell.

The Maasai Mara receives the highest rainfall of the Serengeti ecosystem (40" annually), giving rise to the annual migration of approximately two million wildebeest, zebra, eland and gazelle from Tanzanias drier Serengeti National Park. Although the large migrating herds had recently returned to Tanzania, there still remained a large non-migrating population of these animals. The relatively small reserve (600 sq. miles) is known for its high density of varied species due to the favorable climate and the array of habitats: grassland, bushland, woodland, marshland, rivers and riverine forests, and rocky hillsides. The Maasai Mara Reserve Giraffe strolls across Maasai Mara grassland Micato Safaris, one of many experienced local guiding companies, hosted our safari at Siana Springs, appropriately called a "luxury tent camp," near the eastern gate of the reserve. The tents were scattered throughout a beautiful acacia grove on the edge of a spacious central lawn. Each screened tent accommodated two people in comfort. A covered bar and dining room served up hearty fare at the center of the complex.

The camps refreshing, secluded swimming pool sat in a nearby grove. Were we really on the Serengeti Plain? Safari vehicle at edge of the bushland Each morning wed rise early to meet our guide for the days first game drive. Six guests were assigned to each open-top vehicle. Our guide, Moses, a member of the Kikuyu tribe, spoke nine languages and knew the reserve like the back of his hand. We had an early morning and late afternoon game drive each day, separated by a long lunch and rest stop back at camp. We took six game drives and encountered every African animal that we had dreamed of meeting since we were youngsters. The detailed EcoGuide and animal checklist that the camp provided was soon filled with our checkmarks; we felt almost ready to narrate an episode of Wild Kingdom.

However, nothing could have prepared us for the feelings of joy and awe as we viewed, photographed, and filmed these animals up close and personal: a young elephant as it approached its suckling mother; a baby lion greeting its thick-mane father with a swish of its tail, then snuggling with its mother; a horde of storks and vultures ripping longs strands of meat from a fresh carcass; two giraffes strolling gracefully and synchronized across the grassland; a sleeping leopard next to a fresh kill high in an isolated tree; rooting warthogs and a troop of baboons darting in the bush; a herd of buffalo grazing intently, tickbirds pecking at their backs; a watchful, standing pregnant cheetah; a grazing black rhinoceros with huge horns and perked ears. Click here to view additional wildlife gallery photos. Waterbuck Mother elephant and infant The Maasai Tribe One afternoon we paid a visit to a local Maasai settlement. The Maasai live in dung and timber huts located within an acacia-thorn enclosure.

Herders by trade, they protect their precious cattle from lions and leopards at night by sheltering them within the settlement The Maasai diet consists primarily of cattle blood and yogurt, with meat reserved for special ceremonies. The red-clothed Maasai males pass through three life stages with special rites of passage  boyhood, warriorhood (around age 14), and elderhood (around age 30, when they own enough cattle to marry several wives). Our visit was highlighted by a short talk by one of the warriors and a demonstration of athletic dancing featuring incredibly high leaps. The women sang tribal songs and tended the multitude of young children near the huts. An "open house" at one of the huts revealed two small, dark rooms filled with beds and a vented fire pit. The tribe then pulled out an array of carved masks and bead necklaces for hawking to our small group of visitors. We gladly purchased a souvenir of the unforgettable visit. The Maasai people stand unique in Kenya as most proudly holding onto their centuries-old culture.

Maasai warriors dancing outside settlement Maasai woman and child before their hut Bush flight to Lake Victoria An early morning six-passenger bush flight took us one hundred miles northwest to the shores of Lake Victoria. As we passed over an escarpment from the Serengeti we flew over Kikuyu tribal farmlands and viewed beautifully groomed fields interspersed with homesteads and dirt roads spotted with bicycles and oxcarts. After crossing a low range of ancient volcanic mountains, we came upon Africas largest lake, Victoria, source of the 4,000-mile Nile River, before landing at the private airstrip of the five-star Rusinga Island Resort. Bushflight over Kikuyu farmlands Table is set at Rusinga Island Resort After a brief tour of the resort we breakfasted grandly on a table set on the lawn next to the lakeshore, chatting comfortably with Peter, a local fourth-generation colonialist who works as a freelancing safari guide throughout Kenya. He related how he had established the Siana Springs Camp twenty years earlier. A local Luo tribe member then took us on a boat tour around the island to visit a local Luo fishing village.

The village leader met our small group and guided us through the village. Sardines were drying on the ground to be later used as chicken feed. Goats and dogs mingled freely with the young children who clamored to have their photos taken. A small market displayed some grain and smoked fish. The timber and dung walls were topped with roofs of corrugated iron. We couldnt help but note the contrast between this village and the nearby resort. On our return trip we motored slowly around Bird Island, which was raucously teeming with egrets, cormorants, fish eagles, kites, kingfishers, and large monitor lizards. Children of Luo tribe fishing village Heart of Kenya It had been with trepidation of the unknown that we had first planned our trip to Kenya, but after just four intensely filled days, the Maasai Mara region was in our hearts and our minds, figuratively to the depths of our souls. The country, animals, and people of this unique region of our planet would be forever with us.

Map of the Serengeti migration area | Tanzania | Expert Africa ► A commentary on the Serengeti's different areas, including links to camps and lodges Things to see on this Serengeti map Serengeti National Park is vast, and the 'Serengeti migration area' - which is used by thousands of wildebeest and zebra on their annual migration - is even larger, often referred to as the 'Greater Serengeti area'. In addition to Serengeti National Park, the Greater Serengeti also includes surrounding wildlife areas: Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve across the border to the north, Loliondo Game Controlled Area to the east, part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the south-east and south, as well as Maswa Game Reserve to the south-west. This map of the Serengeti Migration area is an original. It has been commissioned by and drawn up for Expert Africa. It is our copyright (2016). It must not be copied or reproduced without our written permission. If you wish to use it, please contact us. We generally look favourably on requests for educational or charity use, provided that clear acknowledgements and credits are given.

To deter unauthorised use, the map has been digitally watermarked and can be traced. Enquire now Serengeti National Park - Benson Safaris Tanzania Serengeti National Park YOU ARE HERE: Benson Safaris Tanzania Home Wildlife Safaris Serengeti National Park Serengeti National Park The world famous Serengeti is one of Africa’s premier game parks and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Serengeti National Park is to Tanzania what the Maasai Mara Game reserve is to Kenya, but is actually over 7 times as large. The Serengeti, which derives its name from the Maasai for “endless plain”, is the jewel of Tanzania’s protected areas. Combined with the Maasai Mara and the Ngorongoro Conservation area it protects the most varied and greatest collection of wildlife on earth. With the Big Five, the Small Five and extensive amounts of wildlife, this region offers arguably the best wildlife viewing in the world. That said, with its vast size and varied terrain, game viewing is only one aspect of the Serengeti - the scenery is simply breathtaking. The Serengeti is also home to one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife events.

Often referred to as the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ - the annual great wildebeest migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join over 2 million wildebeest as they trek for fresh grazing in the inescapable cycle of life. The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-manned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the South Eastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat. There is no bad time to visit the Serengeti as every season has its own special highlight. Changing seasons and light patterns form the most beautiful backdrop to view Africa’s majestic wildlife.

Question: What is the name of the Kenyan game reserve set on the Serengeti Plain?
Answer: MASAI MARA